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Published on: December 6, 2016
Vitamin D Deficiency and Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity
Andrew E Bluher1,2, Timothy Kearney3, Turaj Vazifedan4
1Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Nemours Children's Hospital, Wilmington, Delaware.
Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and is linked to worse OSA severity. Further research is needed on vitamin D supplementation for pediatric OSA.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Sleep Medicine
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Emerging evidence suggests a link between vitamin D deficiency and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults.
- The association between vitamin D levels and pediatric OSA is less understood.
- Vitamin D deficiency is a potential factor influencing OSA severity in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum vitamin D levels and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children.
- To evaluate the correlation between vitamin D deficiency and the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) in pediatric OSA patients.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 72 children (aged 2-16 years) with severe OSA (AHI ≥20) undergoing adenotonsillectomy.
- Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were measured; deficiency defined as <20 ng/mL.
- Statistical analyses, including univariate and multivariable models, assessed the association between vitamin D levels and AHI, controlling for age, sex, race, BMI, asthma, and season.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in 37.5% of the participants.
- Vitamin D deficiency was associated with younger age, Black race, female sex, and higher AHI in univariate analysis.
- Multivariable analysis confirmed a significant association between lower vitamin D levels and increased AHI (0.7 increase in AHI per 1.0 unit decrease in 25[OH]D).
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with severe OSA and significantly associated with increased OSA severity.
- These findings highlight the importance of assessing vitamin D status in pediatric OSA.
- Further research into vitamin D supplementation as an adjunct therapy for pediatric OSA is warranted.
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